Vocabulary

Question 1

obligato

Answer 1

a counter melody

Question 2

mosso

Answer 2

“movement”

Question 3

pianissimo

Answer 3

very softly, indicated by ‘pp’

Question 4

a tempo

Answer 4

a return to the normal tempo after a deviation

Question 5

cantabile

Answer 5

in a “singing” style

Question 6

marcato

Answer 6

marked, emphasized, separating each note

Question 7

andante

Answer 7

a walking tempo, approx. 76 beats per minute

Question 8

troppo

Answer 8

“too much”

Question 9

vivace

Answer 9

lively, fast, break, animated

Question 10

assai

Answer 10

“very”

Question 11

sforzando

Answer 11

a sudden strong accent on a single note or chord

Question 12

molto

Answer 12

“much,” very intensely

Question 13

agitato

Answer 13

agitated, excited, restless, hurried

Question 14

sostenuto

Answer 14

sustained, sustaining the tone

Question 15

sotto voce

Answer 15

literally “under the breath;” half voice

Question 16

semplice

Answer 16

in a simple unaffected manner

Question 17

ad libitum

Answer 17

“at pleasure,” or “at will;” giving liberty to the performer to vary from the strict tempo

Question 18

alla breve

Answer 18

the half note receives the beat rather than the quarter note

Question 19

segue

Answer 19

move to the next movement without a pause or break

Question 20

lento

Answer 20

slow

Question 21

rallentando

Answer 21

gradually getting slower

Question 22

maestoso

Answer 22

majestic, dignified

Question 23

rubato

Answer 23

“stolen time;” this marking first occurred in the Romantic Period and allowed the performer to steal from tempo (usually slowing down) and then making it up later (usually speeding up)

Question 24

con espressione

Answer 24

with expression

Question 25

leggiero

Answer 25

lightly, airy, graceful with a touch of non-legato

Question 26

gioioso

Answer 26

joyous, joyfully

Question 27

attacca

Answer 27

begin the next movement without a break or pause; this term typically has a more directed meaning than segue

Question 28

crescendo

Answer 28

increasing the volume or loudness of a tone, chord, or passage

Question 29

largo

Answer 29

a slow broad tempo; the slowest of the Italian terms for tempo

Question 30

dolce

Answer 30

sweetly, soft, a quiet tenderness

Question 31

Da Capo

Answer 31

from the beginning

Question 32

allargando

Answer 32

slowing down, usually accompanied by a crescendo; used normally at the end of a piece

Question 33

fermata

Answer 33

a pause, a prolonging or extension of the normal rhythmic value of a note, rest, or chord

Question 34

divisi

Answer 34

"divided"

Question 35

allegro

Answer 35

"cheerful," a quick brisk tempo

Question 36

Dal segno

Answer 36

a term indicating to repeat, beginning at the sign, abbreviated by D.S.

Question 37

D.S. al fine

Answer 37

a term indicating to repeat, beginning at the sign, and to continue to the place marked "fine"

Question 38

fortissimo

Answer 38

very loud, indicated by 'ff'

Question 39

coda

Answer 39

a closing passage, the conclusion of the piece

Question 40

forte piano

Answer 40

loud, then suddenly soft, indicated by 'fp'

Question 41

adagio

Answer 41

literally "at ease;" a slow tempo

Question 42

meno

Answer 42

"less"

Question 43

legato

Answer 43

in a smooth, sustained, or connected manner

Question 44

diminuendo

Answer 44

becoming quieter; a synonym with 'decrescendo'

Question 45

subito

Answer 45

"suddenly," unexpectedly, immediately

Question 46

moderato

Answer 46

in a moderate speed or tempo

Question 47

tacet

Answer 47

do not play; be silent

Question 48

sempre

Answer 48

always, continually, throughout

Question 49

poco a poco

Answer 49

"little by little"

Question 50

piu

Answer 50

"more"

Question 51

tutti

Answer 51

all together, a full ensemble

Question 52

allegretto

Answer 52

quick

Question 52

presto

Answer 52

very fast

Question 52

prestissimo

Answer 52

as fast as possible